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Psychogenic Headache
Author(s) -
Weatherhead A. Dixon
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-4610.1980.hed2001047.x
Subject(s) - psychogenic disease , headaches , migraine , cluster headache , conversion disorder , anxiety , psychiatry , psychology , medicine
SYNOPSIS An attempt has been made to identify what is commonly referred to as “psychogenic headache” and to differentiate between the most frequently encountered psychiatric disorders where headache is the main symptom. These disorders include anxiety reactions, conversion reactions and depressive reactions. While it is recognized that psychogenic factors often play a major part in migraine headaches and vascular headaches 8 and possibly cluster headaches, this topic has not been discussed here as the literature on these types of headache is already extensive.This article attempts to review the causes, types, location and duration of psychogenic headaches and the types of premorbid personality encountered in the sufferer. It suggests how the diagnosis of psychogenic headache may be made and notes that effective treatment will depend upon establishing the correct diagnosis and include not only treatment of the symptom, i.e., the headache, but treatment of the underlying psychiatric disorder also.